ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
“There is always a silver lining to each dark cloud” Dr. Harsh Vardhan
Dr. Harsh Vardhan interacts with the bigwigs of Confederation of Indian Industries 
The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan held an interactive session through Video Conferencing today with over 50 Indian Industry leaders, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry . During the conference he interacted with Shri Vikram Kirloskar, President CII, Uday Kotak, President Designate, CII, Shri Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman, CII National Healthcare Council & CMD, Medanta, Shri Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Enterprise, Ms. Vinita Bali, Former Chair, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition , Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Shri R. C. Bhargava, Chairman, RCB Consulting and Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Member, CII National Committee on Biotechnology & Founder.
Dr Harsh Vardhan briefed Industry on the various relief measures being undertaken by the Government in response to COVID-19. While speaking to them the Minister responded to many of the critical issues related to possible supply chain disruptions as well as the problems being experienced by the Healthcare Sector. He allayed their concerns with respect to measures being taken for revival of economy, availability of testing facilities, quarantine facilities, raw materials for Pharmaceutical industry, disease surveillance, use of telemedicine facilities, preventive healthcare etc. during the fight against COVID-19. He said “there is always a silver lining to each dark cloud and in the present situation it is necessary to keep the spirits high, so that we can come out of it, victorious like a phoenix.” He added, “it is one of the darkest episodes in modern history of the world and mankind has to come out of it and salvage good things from it.”
Dr. Harsh Vardhan exhorted them to keep their spirits high and make best use of the Make in India opportunities in Healthcare posed by COVID so that country comes out more resilient and self-reliant in providing critical health care equipment while dealing potently with the pandemic. He informed them that the government is deliberating as to “how to resume industrial activities in a phased and safe manner at the earliest.”
Further, Dr. Harsh Vardhan thanked all the participants for standing by the Government in testing times and contributing liberally and graciously into the PM CARES fund. He said “the Industry sector in the country has taken a big jolt due to COVID breakout and the Government is already brainstorming on how to ensure that in coming time it can bounce back to its earlier levels.”
He said that India is a vast country and Industry sector plays a pivotal role in its growth story. He added that healthcare is providing many opportunities for Make in India and urged the industry leaders to participate in it and make it happen for India in the intense testing time of COVID pandemic.
Prime Minister's Office
Former ISRO Chairman, Shri G. Madhavan Nair writes about Chandrayaan mission
Former ISRO Chairman, Shri G. Madhavan Nair has written an article about Chandrayaan mission and the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's focus on the potential of space technology and support to the scientific community.
The Prime Minister Office posted on X :
"Former @isro Chairman, Shri G. Madhavan Nair pens an insightful article on the Chandrayaan mission.
He elaborates how PM @narendramodi has always had a focus on the potential of space technology and appreciates the Prime Minister for his support to the scientific community.
https://m.timesofindia.com/why-we-must-celebrate-chandrayaan-2-too/articleshow/103181077.cms?from=mdr&from=mdr&from=mdr
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Central Pollution Control Board organizes Analytical Quality Control exercise of 145 Environmental Laboratories for 9 trace metal parameters.
The Instrumentation Laboratory of Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi has organized the 33rd Analytical Quality Control  exercise for trace metal parameters for Environmental Laboratories of Central and State Pollution Control Boards, Pollution Control Committee’s, and EPA Recognized Private Labs. The main objective of the AQC program is to continuously monitor the accuracy and reliability of the analytical data generated by these laboratories, to help to improve the infrastructure of laboratories and the quality of data.
The AQC exercise will help evaluate the performance of participating laboratories in terms of analytical activities, the robustness of instruments used for sample analysis and the expertise of manpower engaged in the laboratory. It will also help to ensure the reliability of the analyzed data, for an informed and conclusive decision for the prevention and control of pollution.
145 laboratories including all the Central and State Board laboratories, Pollution Control Committees and EPA approved laboratories are participating in the 33rd AQC program. The exercise is being conducted with in-house expertise and following the international norms with utmost care.
The laboratories would analyse AQC samples, and communicate the test results on or before the due date. The performance of each laboratory would be evaluated based on scores and the scorecards would be sent by the end of 31st of March 2021.
The metals included in the 33rd AQC exercise areTotal Arsenic , Cadmium , Total Chromium , Copper , Iron , Manganese , Nickel , Lead  and Zinc for the assessment of pollution in air and water.
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
Promotion of Khadi
Ministry of MSME has been providing loans to unemployed youth for promoting Khadi and Village Industries, by implementing a credit linked subsidy scheme viz., Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme  since 2008-09, for setting up of new micro-enterprises and to generate employment opportunities, in rural as well as urban areas of the country through Khadi and Village Industries Commission , State Khadi & Village Industries Boards  and District Industries Centres . General category beneficiaries can avail of margin money subsidy of 25% of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas. For beneficiaries belonging to special categories such as SC/ST/Women/PH/Minorities/Ex-Servicemen/NER, the margin money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas. The maximum cost of projects is Rs.25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and Rs.10 lakh in the service sector.
The individuals interested to start Khadi activities can apply for loan from Banks under the PMEGP scheme.
This information was given by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM pays tributes to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Jayanti
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Jayanti today.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said,
"I bow to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Jayanti. His lofty ideals motivate millions across our nation. Dr. Mookerjee devoted his life towards India’s unity and progress. He also distinguished himself as a remarkable scholar and intellectual."
Prime Minister's Office
PM extends greetings on National Maritime Day; remembers Babasaheb Ambedkar as an inspiration to focus on Jal Shakti
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has extended his wishes on National maritime Day.
PM said, "The maritime sector in India, with its rich history, has the potential to power our nation’s transformation. On National Maritime Day, we affirm our commitment to harness our maritime strengths for the nation’s prosperity.
Our efforts for a vibrant maritime sector are inspired by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. It was Babasaheb who gave topmost importance to Jal Shakti, waterways, irrigation, canal networks and ports. His work in this sector augured extremely well for the people of India."
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Participation of Women Labour Force in Urban and Rural Areas
Registration on eSHRAM portal is completely free and on self-declaration basis. Workers can easily get themselves registered on the portal through following three modes:-
 Self registration
 Through Common Service Centres 
 Through e-State Seva Kendras.
To increase the number of registrations, the matter is taken up with all the States/UTs from time to time. The registration facility is available over 4 lakh CSC centres across the country. State Seva Kendras have also been on boarded. Further, CSC organises awareness camps  at various places for mobilisation of workers. eSHRAM portal has also been on boarded on UMANG App for easy registration through mobile.
The Budgetary allocation for the development of the portal and registration was initiated in the year 2019-20. Budgetary allocation of Rs. 1 crore and Rs. 50 crore was made for the financial year 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively. Out of which, Rs. 45.49 crore has been released/utilized during 2020-21. Further, out of Revised Estimate  of Rs. 280 crore for the financial year 2021-22, Rs. 255.86 crore has been released/utilized.
Government has taken various steps to improve women’s participation in the labour force and quality of their employment. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment for women workers. These include enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, provision for mandatory creche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc.
Government has taken a decision to allow the employment of women in the aboveground mines including opencast workings between 7 pm and 6 am and in below ground working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work where continuous presence may not be required.
The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019 which provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee. Further, no employer shall make any discrimination on the ground of gender while recruiting any employee for the same work or work of similar nature in the conditions of employment, except where the employment of women in such work is prohibited or restricted by or under any law for the time being in force.
Further, in order to enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes.
As on 30.03.2022, more than 27 crore unorganised workers have been registered on eSHRAM portal. Out of which 53% are female workers and 47% are male workers.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Shri Rameswar Teli in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs
More than 182.84 Crore vaccine doses provided to States/UTs
More than 17.30 Crore balance and unutilized vaccine doses still available with States/UTs
The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID 19 vaccination started on 16th January 2021. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply  75% of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.
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VACCINE DOSES
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SUPPLIED
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1,82,84,94,230
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BALANCE AVAILABLE
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17,30,61,681
More than 182.84 crore  vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt. of India  and through direct state procurement category.
More than 17.30 Cr  balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.
Ministry of Defence
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh to leave for France to receive first Rafale fighter aircraft;
Shri Rajnath Singh to hold talks with French President and Minister of Armed Forces
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will leave New Delhi on Monday, October 7th to France on a two day visit.
On October 8th morning, Shri Rajnath Singh will meet Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic.
Later, Raksha Mantri will participate in the Rafale fighter aircraft handing over ceremony at Merignac along with French Minister of Armed Forces Ms Florence Parly. He will also perform the Shastra Puja on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami and fly a sortie in the Rafale fighter aircraft.
Later, Shri Rajnath Singh will hold the Annual Defence dialogue with French Minister of Armed Forces Ms Florence Parly.
On October 9, Raksha Mantri will address the CEOs of the French Defence industry during which he is likely to urge them to participate in “Make in India” and the DefExpo to be held in Lucknow from February 5-8, 2020.
Special Service and Features
Chennai Air Customs seized MDMA tablets worth Rs. 5 lakhs smuggled from Netherlands
Chennai Air Customs intercepted two postal parcels suspected to contain narcotic substance, which arrived from the Netherlands at Foreign Post Office.
On opening the first parcel, 105 MDMA tablets with “PP” marking commonly known as “Philipp Plein” were recovered. The parcel was addressed to an individual in Chennai city, on search the address was found to be incomplete. 60 MDMA tablets were recovered from the second parcel. These tablets known as “Blue Punisher” embossed with skull mark contain around 300 mg of MDMA which is very high dose. The parcel arrived from Zwolle, a city in north-eastern Netherlands and was addressed to a person in Tirupur. On search, it was found that address was of a textile company with fake consignee name.
Total 165 MDMA tablets valued at Rs. 5 lakhs were recovered and seized under the NDPS Act, 1985.
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Ministry of Power
ADB accords approval for lining project of the Son canal in Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar; it will bring help agri-sector immensely in the region
Shri RK Singh takes review of the project in a meeting; says tenders should be issued by the first week of October
Union Minister of State  for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri R.K Singh took a meeting here, today, with the officials from ADB and Finance Ministry to review the progress of lining project of the Son canal in Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar. During the meeting ADB representatives informed that ADB had accorded approval for this project. Shri RK Singh asked the ADB and Finance Ministry officials to fix a timeframe for the completion of the project. It was agreed during the meeting that Finance Ministry will give permission to appoint consultants by 17th July, 2018 and ADB consultants will start their work by the end of July.
Shri RK Singh also instructed that process of design study, consultation with stakholders, feasibility report, preparation of tenders etc. should be expedited and the tender for the first phase of the lining of the main canal and branches should be issued by the first week of October. Officials present at the meeting assured Shri Singh that after complettion of all due processes, bids for first phase will be issued by the said date.
It may be noted that the estimated cost of this project is USD 503 million  out of which USD 352 million is being provided by ADB. This project will bring immense benefits to the agriculture sector of Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar.
Ministry of Coal
India aims to achieve 100 MT coal gasification target by 2030: Pralhad Joshi
Concession of 20% provided on revenue share of coal used for gasification
Coal Ministry organises webinar on Coal Gasification and Liquefaction
India aims for 100 million tonnes  coal gasification by 2030 with investments worth over Rs. 4 lakh crores, said Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Coal and Mines. Addressing a webinar on Coal Gasification and Liquefaction, Shri Joshi said that Coal Gasification and Liquefaction is no more an aspiration, but a requirement. He added that for encouraging use of clean sources of fuel, government has provided for a concession of 20% on revenue share of coal used for gasification. He emphasized that this will boost production of synthetic natural gas, energy fuel, urea for fertilisers and production of other chemicals. The webinar was organised by Ministry of Coal  in New Delhi for discussing the road map for achieving the target. The webinar was attended by around 700 delegates from Government of India, CIL and the coal sector.
Reiterating on government’s commitments for green initiatives in the coal sector, Shri Joshi said that Coal Gasification and Liquefaction are well in the government’s agenda and various actions have been taken for development of Surface Coal Gasification in India. A Steering Committee has been constituted in this regard under the chairmanship of Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog comprising of members from the Ministry of Coal. CIL has also planned to set up at least 3 gasification plants  on BOO basis through global tendering and has signed an MOU with GAIL for marketing synthetic natural gas.
Shri Joshi urged the attendees of the session to explore more about technologies & other aspects in Coal Gasification sector, in line with our country’s SWOT analysis. He added that this will help in harnessing nation’s reserves for maximum utilisation while heading on the path to sustainability, as per global standards.
Dr. V K Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog and Shri Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary, Coal also addressed the webinar. Shri Binay Dayal, DT, CIL; Dr. P K Singh, Director, CIMFR; Shri Ashutosh Prasad, GM, PDIL; Shri Naveen Jindal, Chairman, JSPL; Shri Rajesh Jha, CEO, Mundra Synergy; Dr. V R Sharma, MD, JSPL; Dr. Dev Gavaskar, Partner, True North Ventures; Mr. Bob Carter, Group VP, Air Products also shared their views and valuable information.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Agra-based company bags NRDC license for manufacturing NavRakshak PPEs
The National Research Development Cooperation  has signed a technology licensing agreement for the manufacturing know-how of a PPE Suit named NavRakshak with an Agra-based apparel manufacturing entity, the Indian Garment Company. This company is also a registered micro enterprise under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises  Act. The entity is already manufacturing PPE kits in and around Agra and supplying to various hospitals and has now proposed an annual production target of over one million PPE kits using the licensed know-how of NavRakshak to meet the increased requirement of PPEs enforced by COVID crisis.
NavRakshak PPE has been developed principally by Dr. Arnab Ghosh, a Naval Doctor. Dr Ghosh has incorporated his personal experiences in using the PPE for the comfort and protection of the doctors. It incorporates superior quality breathable fabric to make the PPE suit while its design innovation eliminates the need of costly taping and sealing of the seam which is otherwise needed in other PPEs available in the market. The fabric, suit and seam have been found to meet the synthetic blood penetration resistance criteria comfortably.
The prototype development took place earlier at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, and it was tested and certified at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences , Defence Research and Development Organisation  , an accredited lab authorized by the Ministry of Textile for PPE prototype sample testing as per the prevailing ISO standards and guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Textile.
AYUSH
Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal lays foundation stones of 4th section of Dhanwantri Bhawan at Delhi
Union Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal today praised Ayurveda for leaving its mark across the world. The Minister was speaking at the foundation laying ceremony for the fourth part of Dhanwantri Bhawan today organised by the All India Ayurveda Congress at its headquarters in Punjabi Bagh West.
Hailing India’s traditional medicine system, the Minister said that Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga travelled to India for treatment of his daughter’s eyesight. Her eyesight was restored by Ayurvedic treatment for which he thanked the our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and urged him to spread Ayurveda across the world.
Praising India’s rich culture and tradition, Shri Sonowal said, “We want the priceless culture that India had for ages should be known to the young generation of the country. We should teach them how our ancestors, Rishis and Munis dedicated their lives to make our country strong”.
Speaking on the occasion, All India Ayurveda Congress President, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Vaidya Devendra Triguna ji said that the building will be completed in one and half years and soon to be functional.
Other dignitaries include Secretary of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha , Advisor, Ayurveda, Ministry of Ayush Shri Manoj Nesari and many more.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Outreach campaign on Swachh Bharat Mission  held at Bhatpara
Bhatpara : December 05, 2018.
A special outreach campaign on Swachh Bharat Mission  in association with Bhatpara Municipality was organised by Field Outreach Bureau, Midnapur at Bhatpara today.
Sri Madanmohan Ghosh, CIC Health of the Municipality, welcoming the participants, and elaborated the aim of the awareness programme. Sri Pramod Singh, CIC, Sri Monoj Guha, CIC also deliberated on the issues of Swachhta. Dr Sukanta Biswas, DMCHO, 24 Pgns  delivered a presentation on environment and perils in daily life.
Under the campaign, a seminar was held in which Sri Suvendu Bhattacharya, Assistant Engineer, Bhatpara Municipality, underlined the importance of the mission mode of Swachh Bharat and its various components. These included segregation of waste at source and use of blue and green bins, decentralised solid waste management, importance of composting- how to compost at home, anti-littering , importance of 3Rs  and their application in citizens’ daily life. An open quiz session was also held and prizes awarded instantly.
A slogan writing competition was held on this occasion while Song and Drama unit of the Bureau staged cultural presentations on environment awareness.
Sri Sudipta Biswas, FPO Medinipur, deliberated on challenges in bringing about behavioural change in people
The programme concluded by prize giving ceremony to the winners of slogan writing competition in Hindi and English.